Clinical implication of HLA class I expression in breast cancer

• Published in: BMC cancer Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 454
• Main Authors: Kaneko, Koichi, Ishigami, Sumiya, Kijima, Yuko, Funasako, Yawara, Hirata, Munetsugu, Okumura, Hiroshi, Shinchi, Hiroyuki, Koriyama, Chihaya, Ueno, Shinichi, Yoshinaka, Heiji, Natsugoe, Shoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 20.10.2011; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies, Monoclonal; antitumor activity; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - immunology; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Cancer Research; Cancer therapies; Cytotoxicity; Diagnosis; Disease-Free Survival; Down-Regulation; Female; Gene expression; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Histocompatibility antigens; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - metabolism; HLA class I; HLA histocompatibility antigens; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Metastasis; Medicine/Public Health; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Oncology; Physiological aspects; Research Article; Risk factors; Surgical Oncology; survival; Survival analysis; T cell immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Translational oncology; Young Adult; Japan; HLA class I; T cell immunology; antitumor activity; survival
• ISSN: 1471-2407; 1471-2407
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-11-454

Background Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-class I molecules on tumor cells have been regarded as crucial sites where cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) can recognize tumor-specific antigens and are strongly associated with anti-tumor activity. However, the clinical impact of HLA class I expression in breast cancer has not been clarified. Methods A total of 212 breast cancer patients who received curative surgery from 1993 to 2003 were enrolled in the current study. HLA class I expression was examined immunohistochemically using an anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibody. The correlation between HLA class I positivity and clinical factors was analyzed. Results The downregulation of HLA class I expression in breast cancer was observed in 69 patients (32.5%). HLA class I downregulation was significantly associated with nodal involvement (p < 0.05), TNM stage (p < 0.05), lymphatic invasion (p < 0.01), and venous invasion (p < 0.05). Patients with preserved HLA class I had significantly better disease-free interval (DFI) than those with loss of HLA class I (p < 0.05). However, in multivariable analysis, HLA class I was not selected as one of the independent prognostic factors of disease-free interval. Conclusion The examination of HLA class I expression is useful for the prediction of tumor progression and recurrent risk of breast cancer via the antitumor immune system.